Eligibility criteria for Honhaar Scholarship Program announced

In a significant development for students, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz unveiled the Rs 130 billion ‘Honhaar Scholarship Program’ on Tuesday.

The Punjab Higher Education Department revealed that over 68,000 students have applied for the Honhaar scholarship program, with applications coming from students at 65 universities, 359 colleges, and 12 medical colleges. The department hailed the scholarship initiative as an outstanding step taken by the Chief Minister to support higher education.

Eligibility Criteria for the Honhaar Scholarship Program:

To apply for the scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:

Must have a domicile from any district in Punjab
Age should not exceed 22 years by the closing date
Must be enrolled in selected disciplines at eligible universities or colleges for the fall session of 2024. Newly enrolled MBBS and BDS students for 2024 are also eligible.
Family monthly income should be less than Rs 300,000 (Affidavit required)

Minimum percentage (pc) required:

Medical Colleges: 80pc or above
Top Universities: 80pc or above
Public Sector Universities: 75pc or above for Science and 70pc or above for Arts and Social Sciences
HED Colleges: 65pc or above for Science and 60pc or above for Arts and Social Sciences

The Honhaar Scholarship Program will facilitate students in 68 disciplines, and in alignment with Maryam Nawaz’s vision, 30,000 students will receive scholarships annually.

Honhaar Scholarship Program will cover full tuition fees for undergraduate degree programs that span four to five years.

Earlier on November 18, the Punjab government extended ‘Maryam Ki Dastak’ programme to 32 districts of the province.

The decision to extend the programme has been taken on directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The 10 new districts which have been added to the programme included Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari, Lodhran, Toba Tek Singh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Gujrat, and Khushab.

Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Chairman Faisal Yousaf while chairing a progress review meeting in Lahore stated that ‘Maryam Ki Dastak’ initiative aims to improve service delivery through trained representatives, providing a more efficient and citizen-friendly experience.